Activision's latest "AAA"-caliber title, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, is now available at retail locations across the globe.

The sequel to the best-selling Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 console game in history pushes the franchise to new heights by propelling players into a world full of advanced weaponry, robotics and drone technology in the year 2025. The game shattered pre-order records set last year by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and is poised to usher in a new era for the 30-million Call of Duty fans worldwide with a host of new innovations to deliver the complete gaming experience.

Activision kicked-off the celebration overnight as eager fans lined-up at midnight across an unprecedented 16,000 retailers around the globe from Sydney to Dubai to Paris to Los Angeles to get their hands on Activision and their award-winning studio Treyarch's new release. Anticipation for the title has reached a fever pitch and is expected to be the "biggest game launch of all time," as GameStop Tony Bartel recently noted.

"From the very beginning, our goal with Call of Duty: Black Ops II was to deliver a new high watermark for the franchise. And thanks to the hard work and creative brilliance of our team at Treyarch, I think that's exactly what we've done," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, Inc. "In addition to an amazing and innovative game, we're also proud and humbled to see the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops II creating yet another legitimate, pop cultural phenomenon. To our millions of fans worldwide, who have driven everything from pre-orders to YouTube views, to midnight lines outside of stores worldwide to new levels, we just want to say, thank you. You are the best fan base in the world, and the unprecedented thrill ride that is Call of Duty: Black Ops II is all for you."

In addition to FPS gameplay, Call of Duty: Black Ops II also features a heavyweight musical lineup with contributions from Academy Award winning composer Trent Reznor (theme), BAFTA nominee Jack Wall (score), and tracks from musical acts Avenged Sevenfold and an original collaboration by Skrillex and Alvin Risk. The story, co-written by David S. Goyer ('The Dark Knight' and the upcoming 'Man of Steel'), picks up where Call of Duty: Black Ops' Cold War era tale left off. Armed with branching storylines and non-linear missions known as Strike Force levels, which provides players a sandbox style gameplay experience, Call of Duty: Black Ops II affords players the opportunity to actually affect the outcome of the game, and for the first time in series history deliver multiple endings to this epic saga.

"Collaborating with David Goyer has been an incredible experience. From the beginning, we had a shared vision to rewrite the rules of storytelling in the Call of Duty franchise and deliver a truly innovative experience for players," said game director and co-Writer, Dave Anthony.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is available on the Xbox, PlayStation 3, and Windows PC. The title is scheduled for release in North America on November 18, 2012, for the new Wii U game system from Nintendo.